A container for collecting sharps includes an opening adapted to receive sharps in a substantially vertical orientation, and an interior region for storing sharps received through the opening. The container includes a means for reorienting the sharps into an arrangement in which the sharps lie substantially parallel to one another within the interior region of the container. A method for configuring a sharps collection container includes the step of positioning a contoured surface of a guide element beneath an opening of the container to reorient sharps that are deposited through the opening into an arrangement in which the sharps are stored substantially parallel to one another in the container.